Wonder if anyone here has any info about importing car to Canada. I heard while you are landing you can bring your vehicle with you. I am in japan and want to find more details in advance, so i am ready when my time to land in Canada reaches near.
Importing Cars to Canada
- Thread starter manachinu
- Start date
bonacker
Star Member
- Sep 25, 2009
- 2
- Visa Office......
- Los Angeles
- Job Offer........
- Pre-Assessed..
- App. Filed.......
- June, 2012
- File Transfer...
- August, 2012
- Med's Done....
- March, 2012
I'm totally in the dark about what to do about my car, too.
I DROVE into Canada in December in my old beater of a car. It's a 1997 Buick, which was a gift from my elderly auntie! I'm in a giant catch-22, though, because the New York State inspection ran out last month (I idiotically didn't think about this before I left the States). So now I can't drive it home to NY to be inspected .... and I don't even understand how I am supposed to follow the rigermarole of "importing" it across the border in the normal fashion. Drive to New Brunswick, and back again? With the NY inspection expired? Or... what? (I'd just sell it in Canada and move on -- but how can I sell a car that isn't registered in Canada? Mysterious catch-22. It actually runs beautifully and is a nice, safe car despite its ugliness.)
PS: This website gives the basic outline of a "normal" importing of cars to Canada. (It has the whole official process spelled out. THo it talks a lot about "bill of sale" and stuff that sounds more relevant to people simply buying cars abroad, as opposed to immigrants.):
http://www.riv.ca/Home.aspx
I DROVE into Canada in December in my old beater of a car. It's a 1997 Buick, which was a gift from my elderly auntie! I'm in a giant catch-22, though, because the New York State inspection ran out last month (I idiotically didn't think about this before I left the States). So now I can't drive it home to NY to be inspected .... and I don't even understand how I am supposed to follow the rigermarole of "importing" it across the border in the normal fashion. Drive to New Brunswick, and back again? With the NY inspection expired? Or... what? (I'd just sell it in Canada and move on -- but how can I sell a car that isn't registered in Canada? Mysterious catch-22. It actually runs beautifully and is a nice, safe car despite its ugliness.)
PS: This website gives the basic outline of a "normal" importing of cars to Canada. (It has the whole official process spelled out. THo it talks a lot about "bill of sale" and stuff that sounds more relevant to people simply buying cars abroad, as opposed to immigrants.):
http://www.riv.ca/Home.aspx
I worked at a licence bureau in Ontario for 4 years, and had run into this question a lot. Unfortunately it isn't an easy thing. Technically if you are living in Canada as a perm resident, you are not allowed to drive a car you have registered in another province/state/country.
If you want to declare you were visiting Canada, and need to drive home to the States - you need to take your original registration into an office, with your driver's licence, and proof of insurance covering you to drive the vehicle (it can be temporary insurance) and you can apply for a temporary permit that would give you 15 days to drive it back to the States. Because Canada does not require yearly inspections on vehicles - OMIT that information altogether or you'll run into problems.
Now, if you plan on living in Canada perm, this is a bit more tricky. Did you declare at customs across the border that you were moving to Canada? If so - they would have given you a long form with a stamp on it. If you didn't tell them you were moving - then it's definitely a catch-22 because you need to get that paper, and in order to do so, need to take it back across the border into Canada. Honestly - the hassle and cost of importing a vehicle is HUGE - so you really should think about the cost of what it's worth to keep. You cannot sell a vehicle in Canada that you brought from the states, with a US title - so selling it is out of the question (as they new owner needs the long form as well to register it). You may only be able to sell it to a scrap yard unfortunately - as a lot of them do not register cars in their name.
Hope this helps somewhat? I can only speak for Ontario, as every province has vastly different rules. Best of luck!
Paige
If you want to declare you were visiting Canada, and need to drive home to the States - you need to take your original registration into an office, with your driver's licence, and proof of insurance covering you to drive the vehicle (it can be temporary insurance) and you can apply for a temporary permit that would give you 15 days to drive it back to the States. Because Canada does not require yearly inspections on vehicles - OMIT that information altogether or you'll run into problems.
Now, if you plan on living in Canada perm, this is a bit more tricky. Did you declare at customs across the border that you were moving to Canada? If so - they would have given you a long form with a stamp on it. If you didn't tell them you were moving - then it's definitely a catch-22 because you need to get that paper, and in order to do so, need to take it back across the border into Canada. Honestly - the hassle and cost of importing a vehicle is HUGE - so you really should think about the cost of what it's worth to keep. You cannot sell a vehicle in Canada that you brought from the states, with a US title - so selling it is out of the question (as they new owner needs the long form as well to register it). You may only be able to sell it to a scrap yard unfortunately - as a lot of them do not register cars in their name.
Hope this helps somewhat? I can only speak for Ontario, as every province has vastly different rules. Best of luck!
Paige
ps - ignore what the previous poster said about RIV
regardless, RIV only determines if you need to have the paper work inspected and stamped (as I said about Canadian Tire) - some older vehicles are exempt from this, and therefore get their two stamps at the border crossing instead.
There are only a handful of vehicles that cannot be imported - and the majority of those are motorcycles
regardless, RIV only determines if you need to have the paper work inspected and stamped (as I said about Canadian Tire) - some older vehicles are exempt from this, and therefore get their two stamps at the border crossing instead.
There are only a handful of vehicles that cannot be imported - and the majority of those are motorcycles
bonacker
Star Member
- Sep 25, 2009
- 2
- Visa Office......
- Los Angeles
- Job Offer........
- Pre-Assessed..
- App. Filed.......
- June, 2012
- File Transfer...
- August, 2012
- Med's Done....
- March, 2012
Paige: thanks so much! when I crossed into CAnada, the customs/immigration person knew we were about to send off our PR application. They mentioned that once I became a PR, i'd have to import my car. They knew i was driving my own, US-registered car into Canada -- i'm just on a "visitors record," good for 6 months -- but they didn't give me any forms whatsoever. Nothing with a stamp or anything. This was at Calais/St. Stephen. So I guess my only option would be to get the temporary permit, and then drive back to the US to import it. Hmm. It's such an old car it sounds like it's really not worth it, but . . . on the other hand, i have zero spare money for a new car (even another old beater). Wish I could just sell it. Gack. THANK YOU for the advice!